TakeMeToTheMorgue! - This Dark Virus (2011)

Torn Flesh

8.8

/Dark ambient, Neoclassical, Drone, Modern classical, Classical, Dystopbient, Freeformfreakout, Non music, Minimal, Experimentalism, Abstract, Dark wave, Illbient, Martial, Avant-garde, Synth industrial/

In the same way as Jessie Martin aka Ylnez Payne`s previous, the debut album Oblivion EP (2010) used to be, indeed, the sophomore notch is a very brooding release as well. Actually it is even more articulated and channelized into a mighty form, obviously affording for itself vanguard-ish elements of sound processing and off-kilter sonic formations. What does it mean "serious" in the context of this set of 14 (plus 4) tracks? Firstly, it is an annihilator of your highest (i.e ecstatic feelings), on the other side - in the formal sense - it is an impressive drifting between dark ambient, obscure drone, film noir, dark wave, subdued cybercore, electronically mutilated messages, martial techno and beat-based mayhems and neoclassical orchestrations. Moreover, Payne cleverly takes advantage of not using the hermetical approach of sound recording, yet having no side-effects to be sounded somehow vulnerable. By the way, about those off-kilter sonic formations though? For instance, Beauty Inspired By Darkness (ft. Ricky Revenge) which is a silent, minor key-moulded piano track having a bunch of sinister progressions in the backdrop or Eternal Nightmares For Passive Dreamers which relies on hardly minimal, darkscape-driven developments.

Pequeña Fiera! - Mountains were monsters (2010)

Error! Lo-fi

9.0

/Indie pop, Indietronica, Alternative pop, Electronic, Poptronica, New Weird Europe, Post-folk, Post-pop, Dream pop/

Comment: Thanks to such artists like Animal Collective, Atlas Sound, The Grizzly Bear, and The Dirty Projectors the kind of ecstatic pop has gained more popularity amongst ordinary music buyers and reached quite high places in pop charts. Error! Lo-fi is a Spanish-based label under which have a lot of bands found its output to the world. However, the basic core is concentrated upon mellow indie pop/ indietronic/ folktronic/ toytronic music. However, Pequeña Fiera! is one of the most profilic and eminential notches among this umbrella, anyway, deserving its position rightly. A set of 6 tracks is full of ecstatically pursuing guitar-strumming, dream-alike vocal lines (at times reminiscent of Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson from Sigur Ros) and synth- and glockenspiel-drenched indie pop. It is mesmerizing how those different layers within it will be melt into each other.

Greendjohn - Loophole (2011)

Jamendo

8.8

/Film score, Classical, Soundtrack, Orchestrated music, Conceptual/

Comment: This is the third album (or soundtrack - it would be the more proper classification for such kind of music) by a musician residing in Belgium. Indeed, this sounds like an imaginable soundtrack for a very epic film. More concretely, fast key changes, bombastic orchestrations and even progressions into choir-alike spaces and ominous, martial-hued music vary with decreasings into a near-silence introspection or gliding down into a sort of still life. As a skillful creator, he is very well aware of those emotive elements he is used to operate with - for example, Morricone-esque playings on feminine high vocal registers and flute samples. No doubt, the flowing of serotonine will be activated in your brain while listening to it.

Old Age - Lutsen (2011)

Bandcamp

8.0

/Ambient, Experimentalism, Avant-electronica, Minimal, Ambient drone, Sound-art, Microtonal, Kosmische musik/

Comment: Three tracks. The first track is a soothing, slightly pulsating flowing embellished by some metallic progressions and having nearly epic tendencies within it. The second track is a case of flickering electronica whereas there could be detected for similarities on technical approach with seminal electronic musicians a la Conrad Schnitzler. The third one creates experience through limber drifts over jagged soundscapes, over decreasing and increasing ridges respectively.

Clinker - Good Trip, Bad Trip (2011)

Clinker
Lastfm

/Trance rock, Space rock, Psychedelia, Motorik, Avant-rock, Experimental rock, Krautrock, Progressive, Math rock, Crossover, Dance rock/

10.0

Comment: This is the first notch of the London-based group`s planned pair of albums in the year of 2011. However, when the instruments (guitars, drums, samplers, keyboards) were switched on, the magnificient, 5-track containing journey started off. And it is an essentially enthralling trip. The first track Poison Tree is profoundly introspective, dense, even a bit abrasive outlook upon the world. A massive ballad without being someway pathetic, though. Survive does deliver some spaced-out, electro-rock infused space rock/krautrock gems striking and stroking simultaneously. Being highly dynamic and looping, however, it is krautrockers` rock and roll on its own. Or metronomic pop, as you wish it for. Like Faust on the 1970`s and nowadays releases as well. But Clinker does make grooves up a bit better. Flightpath Of The Righteous is a frenzied yet ultimately catchy blend of neo-progressive developments and math rock-esque bass gears and drum blasts. A murderous combination...whattha hell... what is going there about in the ending section actually? No doubt, it is a 30-second snippet of breakcore-ish/chiptune-ish pace crap. Ame Ni Mo Makezu goes on with the same rhythmic section (in true, tuning it into more danceable ones - one of the best dance rock-gears ever heard), yet, inserting one principial difference by added space rock-ish/orchestration-mixed above it. Arrghhh!!! is all what I would to say. The ending and the longest track, 17-minute-long Pig In My Brain wades through the diverse chapters, beginning with somewhat feeble and subdued shimmerings, yet progressing into a spiritual (sic! resembling Spiritualized too), gospel-induced trance rock-ish anthem.

In fact, it is a bit shame about the British that they are not ready yet to overturn theirselves and discover such a great ensemble with strong issues behind their backs. Let`s take your time and listen to such albums like Clinker (2008), and When I Grow Up I Wanna Be A Space Cadet (2007) as well. However, Good Trip, Bad Trip is one of the strongest candidates for the best album of 2011 for sure.

New Animal - Who`s Gonna Open My .......?

Zoom-On-A-Kill - I Was Her (2011)

Bandcamp

8.5

/Samplecore, Breakcore, Cut and paste, Plunderphonics, Freeformfreakout, Sampledelic/

In comparison with the first album (Couleurs Sans Danger, 2010) by Zoom-On-A-Kill the direction and thought of the latest release is not piled up under a bunch of clenched sounds. Therein can be sensed a lot of different milieus and pleasant air fluttering around you, all the samples are clearly segmented and set out, on the other side, yet never keeping on hold against outrageous maelstrom of sounds which at this time does veer from film score samples, vinyl crackles and 8-bit pieces to vintage Latin rhythms, deep vibes, heavily slapping beats, sliced electro-gears and psych-out MC-ing. In a nutshell, these short-running tracks are the witnesses of an astute manipulation of previously cooked sonic information.